Respect to Lennon Bermuda singer Moniz

Energy and fun: Dennis Moniz at the 2012 recording and filming
of The Love Singers' version of All You Need Is Love.

Dennis Moniz, a featured singer on the Lennon Bermuda CD version of All You Need Is Love, has died at 66. He was one of the 11 named singers who shared lead vocal duties on the track; the ensemble was known as The Love Singers.

Mr Moniz was a well-known singer across Bermuda and performed with a number of groups, and at many venues during his long career. Tony Brannon, the organiser of the Lennon Bermuda project, referred to him as the Sammy Davis Jr of Bermuda.

Although I only had the briefest of encounters with Mr Moniz, I would say the 'Sammy Davis Jr' description was very apt. I met him when we were both doing chorus backing on The Love Singers' version of All You Need is Love, which was recorded in May 2012 ahead of the release of the Lennon Bermuda CD and the subsequent concert in September that year. The recording was done in a gallery room at Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art, in the Botanical Gardens.

Infectious fun: Will Black, myself, Ronnie Lopes and Dennis Moniz
 during the filming of the All You Need is Love video

A video of the recording session was made under the supervision of director Lucinda Spurling, and it captures the effervescent energy and spirit of Mr Moniz. His smiling, jovial nature shone as brightly as his silky blue shirt. His presence, energy, and unusual headwear are my most abiding memory from that day. In the video, he is captured later singing a lead line as one of three singers sitting back to back - although he had switched to a white shirt that featured his name embroidered on the front. He had an infectious attitude of fun that lit up the room, and once experienced was hard to forget.

This year has seen the loss of two other Lennon Bermuda performers; Steve Easton, who sang Bless You, and international recording artist Roy Young, who appeared on stage with The Beatles during their Hamburg days, and sang Nowhere Man on Lennon Bermuda.

The joy all three gave to others through music lives on.

Here is The Love Singers video of All You Need is Love: